The eighth edition of SONAFILM, the International Film Festival of Music de Filmmaking Marina Alta will celebrate eight concerts dedicated to epic and historical cinema 31 from July to 22 from August of 2026 in the towns of Ondara, DéniaCalp, Beniarbeig, Xàbia and Pego. The program will highlight national sound creation with three specific proposals focused on the legacy of Antón García Abril, popular cinema and current composers.
Three essential encounters with Spanish sound heritage
The festival presents three concerts that explore Spanish musical heritage from different perspectives, consolidating this line as a hallmark of the event.
The first of these events is "Spanish Version: Homage to Antón García Abril," which will inaugurate the SONAFILM 8 program on July 31th at the Sala Multiespai l'Androna de Baleària in Dénia. This concert, organized by Fundación Creativa Dénia, will feature the composer's work and will be performed by the University of La Laguna Polyphonic Choir under the direction of Julio Chinea.
The second proposal, "Neighborhood Cinema", will be held on August 5th, XNUMX in the Plaça de la Constitució in Xàbia. This show will revive iconic songs from popular Spanish cinema, including songs like Sad Trumpet Ballad, The life is still the same, The boys with the girls o The things you wantThe Bad Education Band, directed by David Quevedo, will feature solo vocals by Esther Ovejero, Fran León and Elisabeth Álvarez-Ossorio.
The most ambitious project in this line is "Made in Spain IV", which returns the August 14th, XNUMX al Calp Auditorium at 20:00hOrganized in collaboration with the SGAE Foundation and with the support of the Musimagen association, this symphonic concert will be performed by the Universal Symphony Orchestra under the direction of José Martínez Colomina.
It will feature the participation of seven prominent film composers and TV: Federico Jusid, Arnau Bataller, Aránzazu Calleja, Juanjo Molina, Iván Martínez Lacámara, Álvaro Peire and Maite Arroitajauregi.
Javier Gil, the festival director, explains: "After the great reception of the proposals dedicated to Spanish audiovisual music last year, we wanted this line not to be a one-off thing, but a stable hallmark within SONAFILM."
For his part, Pedro J. Mérida, producer of the event, points out: "In an edition focused on the great cinematic epics, it also seemed important to us to reclaim the sound memory of our country, from an essential master like Antón García Abril to the songs that marked popular cinema and the composers who today continue to write for films, series and video games."
Meet the Creators: Let's Talk About Film Music
As a complement to "Made in Spain IV", on Saturday August 15th, XNUMX at 11:30h A new edition of the open talk "Let's Talk About Film Music" will be held at the Sala Multiespai l'Androna de Baleària in Dénia. Moderated by Gorka Oteiza, head of the SoundTrackFest website, this event will bring together invited composers to discuss their creative processes. Admission is free until capacity is reached.
Seven talents of Spanish audiovisual media
The composers who will participate in «Made in Spain IV» are:
- Federico JusidArgentine composer based between Madrid and Los Angeles, recognized for his work in The Secret in Their Eyes, for which he was nominated for a Goya Award, and series such as Isabel y The head of Joaquín Murrieta.
- Arnau Bataller: He has worked on feature films such as Summer, for which he won a Gaudí Award, and series such as Red bracelets.
- Aránzazu CallejaBorn in Bilbao, winner of the Goya Award for Best Original Music for Akelarre alongside Maite Arroitajauregi, and a frequent collaborator of Borja Cobeaga in titles such as Negotiator.
- Juanjo MolinaComposer, producer and orchestra conductor with more than two decades of experience, awarded for film soundtracks Crushed Wings y A Real Family.
- Ivan Martinez LacámaraA key figure in recent Spanish television music, he has composed for series such as The paper house, Vis a vis y Sky Red.
- Álvaro PeireHe has composed music for productions such as Fox, Clara Campoamor, a vote to awaken y mothers. Love and life.
- Maite Arroitajauregi (Mursego): Cellist, composer and performer, she won the Goya Award for Best Original Music for Akelarre alongside Aránzazu Calleja.
An edition dedicated to the great epics
The eighth edition of SONAFILM will maintain its territorial character with eight concerts spread across the six towns of the Marina Alta region. This year's program will be dedicated to epic and historical cinema, featuring Trevor Jones as a special guest and a grand closing concert, "The Age of Empires," which will offer a musical journey through the great cinematic epics.
Tickets and access information for the various SONAFILM 8 concerts are now available on the festival's official website. www.sonafilm.es.
